Mobile sports betting has arrived in Maryland. On November 23rd — just in time for the Thanksgiving onslaught of football and the World Cup — Marylanders were allowed to place wagers on their phones.
In these early weeks of legalized mobile betting, from TV to Twitter, we have been bombarded with ads trying to entice us to register with one or more of seven “sportsbooks,” as the betting apps are called, which will enable us to bet on all manner of things related to professional and some other sports. Three more state-approved sportsbooks are on the way soon.
Today on Midday, a conversation about what sports betting means for Maryland, what the experience of other states has been, and what worries those who treat people with gambling addictions.
According to the website Gaming Today, in most markets, more than 70% of sports betting is done online. In some states, such as New York and New Jersey, that percentage rises to 90%.
And the amount of money being wagered is astonishing. Last January, the first month that mobile betting was allowed in New York, $1.7 billion dollars was wagered on sporting events.
Tom's first guest is Pamela Wood, who covers Maryland politics and has reported on the state's gaming boom for our news partner, the Baltimore Banner. Pamela Wood joins us on our digital line.
Then, Tom is joined on Zoom by Bennett Conlin, a writer who covers sports betting for the SportsHandle and US Bets online sites. He gives us an overview of how mobile betting is working in nearby states, some of which started their mobile betting programs a while ago.
Later in the program, Tom speaks with Rob White, a licensed clinical professional counselor and Director of External Affairs for the Maryland Center of Excellence on Problem Gambling at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, about his concerns with making gambling so easy and accessible. Mr. White joins us on Zoom.